West Virginia’s Hope Scholarship Program served 10,530 students in FY 2025, nearly doubling participation from the previous year. Even with that growth, estimated program costs amounted to just 1.1% of total funding for West Virginia public schools.
This report from the Cardinal Institute and EdChoice examines Hope’s fiscal impact during its third year. Assuming 90% of participants would otherwise have attended public school, the analysis estimates $19.1 million in net state budget savings and $35.2 million in net fiscal benefits for local taxpayers.
The report also examines changes in public school revenue and how universal eligibility beginning in the 2026–27 school year could affect future costs and savings.